Troops of the Nigerian Army have rescued a senior military officer, Lt. Col. Ofor Amobi, and a civilian, Mr Ikechukwu Onwuanra, after a 10-day joint search-and-rescue operation in Enugu State.
The rescue operation was carried out in the early hours of Friday after sustained pressure was mounted on the kidnappers, according to a military operational report made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Abuja.
The military said personnel from Sector 1 of Operation UDO KA, including troops from the 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion (Reinforced), the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service, and the 197 Special Forces Battalion, participated in the operation.
The troops, led by the Commander of the 82 Division Garrison, carried out extensive searches across forests and communities in Inyi, Awlaw, and Akpugo-Eze areas of Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State.
According to the report, troops received intelligence from the Divisional Police Officer of Inyi Division around 2:00 a.m. on Friday about the possible location of the victims.
The information prompted an immediate fighting patrol, leading troops to the edge of a forest in Inyi, where the victims were found abandoned.
The military disclosed that both victims sustained gunshot injuries and were quickly evacuated to the 82 Division Medical Hospital for treatment and medical assessment.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims had been blindfolded, taken to an unknown location, and later abandoned in a forest near the Enugu-Anambra border.
The military said the victims credited their rescue to the continuous pressure applied by the joint security forces, which restricted the kidnappers’ movement and forced them to abandon their captives.
“The victims attributed their rescue to the sustained pressure mounted by the joint troops, which denied the kidnappers freedom of movement and compelled them to abandon their captives,” the report stated.
The military added that further details about the operation would be released as investigations continue.
